Spectral Gardener

When I was 10, my family took me with them to America. There is one
thing that stays in my mind till this day.

We were having a tour of a plantation in Mississippi. The garden had
lavish flower beds, roses, and other plants. After the tour me and mum
were sitting on the bench and it was then that I noticed a man that I am
sure wasn't really there. He was about 50 years old, had dark skin, was
wearing a sun hat, and was tending the garden. I went over to admire the
flowers and he kept on working. I was standing nearby and asked him if
he wouldn't mind it if I picked a flower to give to mum. He looked at
me, smiled, but didn't say anything. I took that as a yes, picked the
flower, and walked over to give it to mum. She told me off, pointing to
the sign in the corner saying not to pick the flowers.

"But that man there let me have it!" I explained to her, pointing to
where he had been. He was gone. She gave me a funny look and told me off
for lying. "But he was right there!" I insisted. She asked me what he
looked like and told me that there wasn't anyone there when we sat down
and she didn't see any one go there, let alone a gardener. I know that
he was there and am pretty sure that he was a ghost. Maybe of a slave
that really was the gardener. The plantation goes back to the 1800s.